Do you keep pushing the green envelope?

[bigmonstertruck]

My first experiences with green included honey to tone down the astringency (I think that is the right word). Over time and with more experience and better quality greens, I have learned to love that "green" taste and wouldn't think of adding anything to the tea. But what I once considered a nice powerful punch of the green goodness, I guess my palate has adjusted and that taste, although still pleasant, is not so wonderfully refreshing a new. So I find myself looking for even greener teas, or maybe I need to increase the tea to water ratio. Anyone else have this experience? I feel like a junkie who needs more and more to get the same fix.

Ed

[Chip]

Hi Ed, it is pretty common I bet for greenies to steadily increase the leaf to water ratio. I find I do this quite a bit.

For instance, I woud think a newbie to fine Japanese sencha would be content with .5 grams leaf to 1 ounce water. Over time increasing that to an experienced 1:1 ratio.

What greens are you drinking?

[bigmonstertruck]

Several from Yuki-Cha and O-cha. My favorite right now has to be O-cha's Yutaka Midori. I just placed an order for a couple of the Shinchas from Dens Tea. (When I first tried the Dens sampler I was too much of a newbie and was unable to appreciate it at all)

I would say that I have graduated from the run of the mill greens and really am enjoying the higher quality offerings.

Ed

[Chip]

Several from Yuki-Cha and O-cha. My favorite right now has to be O-cha's Yutaka Midori. I just placed an order for a couple of the Shinchas from Dens Tea. (When I first tried the Dens sampler I was too much of a newbie and was unable to appreciate it at all)

I would say that I have graduated from the run of the mill greens and really am enjoying the higher quality offerings.

Kool ... O-Cha's YM has been my top pick from the first time I tried it around 4 years ago. It may finally and temporarily be dethrowned however! ... by the new O-C Kagoshima Sencha Yutaka Midori "Kaoru Supreme LE" which I got to sample and have since ordered ... pretty bangin'. Mrs. Chip likes YM too ...

What did you order from Den's? Have you posted in the Shincha Order or Shincha Review Topics yet? Or the appropriate topics in TeaVendor???

[aya_s]

Pardon my ignorance- is the tea you are drinking gyokuro? I've found gyokuro tea to be the "greenest" tasting of green teas I've tasted.

[beachape]

If you find yourself in a rut, try taking a vacation from your favorite teas. Either try drinking some cheap tea, or try a different tea category for a while. Then when you come back to your favorites you will remember why they are your favorite. Its called a "drug holiday" to decrease your tolerance . Make sure you do it over a weekend when you aren't too stressed. Otherwise you'll get right back to the green stuff.

For me I was drinking chinese greens for a few months, then japanese greens, then puer, then oolong, and I'm getting ready to have some more chinese greens when they arrive in the mail. After I start getting into a rut and not enjoying the teas as much, I switch to another one.

[Chip]

Pardon my ignorance- is the tea you are drinking gyokuro? I've found gyokuro tea to be the "greenest" tasting of green teas I've tasted.

Specifically, Yutaka Midori is a special varietal sencha that is most often grown in Kagoshima prefecture on the southern island Kyushu. We are talking about this one.
http://www.o-cha.com/green-tea/kagoshim ... utaka.html
and
http://www.o-cha.com/Yutaka-Midori.html

[Ed]

Yep, I've also increased my leaf to water ratio to make sure it has plenty of flavor. It also helps to get away from the fukamushi and brew some asamushi so you don't burn out. There are so many good vendors now that you never have to get bored drinking the same stuff all the time!

[bigmonstertruck]

Is there a good green tea primer out there that explains all of the differences between the various types and categories of green tea?

Ed

[Ed]

Den's has a good basic primer here: http://www.denstea.com/green_tea_basics.html

[bigmonstertruck]

Pardon my ignorance- is the tea you are drinking gyokuro? I've found gyokuro tea to be the "greenest" tasting of green teas I've tasted.

I find Gyk to be must more subtle, delicate, and milder and not to pack the same punch. Maybe just a tad sweeter and less astringent. It couldb just be the way I brew it, so I will defer to others' expertise.

Ed

[Chip]

It also helps to get away from the fukamushi and brew some asamushi so you don't burn out. There are so many good vendors now that you never have to get bored drinking the same stuff all the time!

I typically like having a fuka and an asa open at the same time. Keeps from getting into a burnout from either.

[Proinsias]

I find that with most of my teas I'm increasing the strength over the years. I have a good friend just getting into quality teas. His brewing reminds me of my brewing years ago. When he makes tea I find it a little bland and when I make tea he finds it overpowering. I think I'm becoming immune to bitterness.

I've not got a great deal of experience with Japanese greens and tend to brew them a little more cautiously. With Chinese green I'm often using lots of leaf and nigh on boiling water.

As beachape mentioned and foray into something else, like Chinese greens which tend to be more subtle, may help one to appreciate the power of a good Japanese green. I love Japanese green tea but I couldn't drink it every day. A few times a year I drink Japanese greens intensively. I've been drinking a lot of old oolong and pu'erh recently and have been really appreciating spending the odd sunny day in the garden with some Chinese green.

The more time I spend on one tea, the more I need to spend per gram on that type of tea. If I vary things a bit I become less fussy

[entropyembrace]

I don´t drink much green at all but I find myself doing the same with other types of teas...brewing stronger and stronger over time xD